American flag that survived Hurricane Florence sold for almost $11G in auction

A grieving family spent almost $11,000 on a flag ripped apart in Hurricane Florence.

The American flag, nicknamed “Kevin,” flew from Frying Pan Tower 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina and became a viral symbol when it was caught on livestream as it was almost destroyed by the storm’s nearly 100 mph winds.

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Richard Neal, who owns the Frying Pan Tower bed and breakfast, auctioned the flag off on eBay to raise money for the American Red Cross.

Now, the flag is in the hands of Mike Caruso, whose brother Kevin died of prostate cancer Sunday morning.

“My brother lived his life like that flag in the storm, being courageous with chaos all around, never giving up,” Caruso told the Charlotte Observer. “He and that flag were at the center of a great storm, staying calm, standing firm. People kept asking through the storm: ‘Is Kevin still there?’ And it was always still there, still standing.”

Kevin Caruso, who was 64 when he died, was from Cincinnati but moved to the Carolinas about 20 years ago, most recently in Charlotte for work.

Mike Caruso said he plans to bring the flag home to Ohio.

“We’re thrilled to have it and our plans are to put it in a real nice box, framed and mounted with respect and honor,” he told the Observer. “And we’ll have a plaque that will reflect exactly what the flag stands for and honor Kevin for all the same reasons.”